Fruit Salad
by Hakura0
Summary: A day out ends with a bad taste in the Doctor's mouth...for awhile.


It was a quiet moment, something rare but not quite so much as they had once been. Jack and the Doctor were sitting across from each other in a booth in a small restaraunt, meal finished uneventfully and an overlarge bowl of fruit salad sitting on the table between them.

Jack was telling a story at length, his end of what had happened on one of the latest adventures. They were both laughing, the Doctor's occaisonal comment of disbelief quickly shot down by additional assurances and sometimes even evidence pulled from Jack's pockets.

He handed back one such piece of this now, shaking his head in spite of the grin spread across his face. As the draconian scale was spirited away back into a pocket, the Doctor took his fork and speared a piece of fruit, popping it into his mouth without the usual scrutinization. It was barely in his mouth before he started gagging, a look of utmost horror on his face.

"Oh- oh, ugh, eurgh-"

Jack had barely gotten to his feet meaning to round the table, when the Doctor spit the offending fruit out onto his plate. As he opened his mouth to speak the Time Lord reached blindly for a drink, downing it in one go. While his attention was otherwise occupied, Jack managed a one word question.

"Doc?"

The question earned him nothing less then a glare, the Doctor's face still twisted into a look of disgust. Mere moments later he spoke, his voice low.

"Don't 'Doc' me_._"

"What?"

"This is all your fault."

"Me? What did I do? What are you-"

Jack was silenced by a gesture towards the discarded fruit. In a tone that suggested he was asking the other man to name a known evil the Doctor spoke again.

"Do you know what that is?"

Stopping himself from saying 'fruit' Jack took a closer look. He wasn't exactly an expert on fruit salad identification, but he figured he'd give it a go. Raising an eyebrow, he told the Doctor his guess.

"A pear?"

"Yes, Jack. A pear."

The Doctor's voice was cold, his expression forced. Jack surveyed him purposefully, trying to figure out what a bit of fruit had to do with such an extreme reaction. Moreso what exactly he had done.

"Alright so you...don't like pears? I don't see what that has to do with me..."

"You wanted to come here. You suggested dinner. You ordered the fruit salad. You distracted me. You-"

"-'ve got to be kidding me."

Another pointed glare assured Jack that he, in fact, wasn't. The effect was killed however, when after a shiver the Doctor proceeded to lick the back of his own hand.

Jack could only respond with amazement.

"You're not kidding. Are you?"

"No."

"It's just-"

"What?"

"Pears though?"

"They're evil."

"Pears."

"Yes."

"I wasn't aware fruit could be evil. I mean, sure it can go bad, but-"

"They're terrible, horrible, no good, very bad tasting fruit."

"Isn't that-"

Jack was cut off again, this time by an almost mournful look. As far as he was concerned this whole thing seemed ridiculous, but the Doctor seemed serious.

"I can't stand the taste and it just sticks there to your tongue, and I'm going to be tasting it for hours."

His tone made it clear that those few seconds of exposure to the guilty fruit were going to overshadow the whole day. Turn it from being a rather nice day, to 'I almost ate a pear'. That was, of course, if he didn't do anything about it.

"Move over."

Jack's voice was firm, and though the Doctor gave him a questioning he scooted closer to the wall. He slid onto the seat beside him, body arranged so his back was to the restaraunt and he was facing the Doctor.

"Jack?"

His distaste of the pear pushed aside for a scant few seconds it was the Time Lord's turn to be confused. But Jack didn't leave him much time to think, and almost before the word was out the immortal had one arm propped on the back of the booth, and had taken the Doctor's chin lightly in the other.

Jack leaned forward purposefully, eyes locked carefully onto the Doctor's. His head tilted slightly, and when he was something like a few inches away comprehension dawned in the other man's dark eyes. Then the distance was crossed, and just as the Doctor started opening his mouth to speak their lips met.

They kissed, or more, Jack kissed him, the Doctor had to admit. He didn't quite participate actively in it, but he didn't fight him either, and Jack seemed to have a good idea what he was doing, or was at least intent to explore thoroughly.. To his embarrasment he seemed to lose track of time, and wasn't sure quite how long it lasted. It wasn't long though, and when Jack eased away, opening his eyes and breathing slowly he was smiling.

"Better?"

Jack's tone was a bad attempt at innocent, and he let his hand linger below the Doctor's chin for a moment longer before he pulled it back.

"Wha--?"

The Doctor asked him blankly, though even as he voiced the question he realized what Jack meant. The pear's taste was gone almost entirely, swamped by a plethora of others which he thought it might be nice to sort through sometime, left over from...

"Oh- That's _sneaky._"

The Doctor's gaze was somewhere between accusing and amused, and Jack blinked at the unexpected response. Still leaning against the back of the seat he took the bait.

"What is?"

"That. You were planning it from the beginning, weren't you?"

"Hardly my style Doc."

Jack told him sincerely, though he couldn't help the underlying tone of amusement that snuck into his voice. He had, after all, just been accused, for all intents and purposes, of masterminding a kiss. His honesty was rewarded with suspicion.

"You're sure?"

"Positive. I didn't even know you had a thing against pears. I'm flattered though, really."

"Then..."

"Spur of the moment. Did it work?"

The returning to that point, and a quick survey of Jack's expression lead him to reluctantly accept the story. A moment's thought brought a spark of mischief into the Doctor's eyes, and turning slightly he leaned against the back of the seat. When he finally answered, his voice was a slow drawl.

"Well, yes... But-"

"But?"

"You missed a spot."


End file.
